Human brain cell transplant offers insights into neurological conditions

Scientists have created a 'window' into the brain, which enables researchers to watch in detail how human brain cells connect to each other. In the new study, led by Imperial College London in collaboration with a group from the University of Cambridge , researchers for the first time successfully transplanted human brain cells into a mouse brain, and watched how they grew and connected to each other. This allowed the team to study the way human brain cells interact in a more natural environment than previously possible. We were hoping a few of the human brain cells would grow within the mouse brain - but we were stunned to see the human brain cells thrive, and soon talk and work together Dr Vincenzo De Paola Study author The team, funded by the Medical Research Council , used the technique to model Down's syndrome, using cells donated by two individuals with the condition. The scientists say the technique could be used to study a range of brain conditions in the future, including schizophrenia, dementia or autism. The study, published today in the journal Science , describes how researchers saw differences in the brain cells from the individuals with Down's syndrome compared to brain cells from a person without the condition. Although some of the connections formed between the brain cells from the individuals with Down's syndrome were more stable and abundant, they communicated in a slightly less coordinated fashion.